


Painting The Sun

by orphan_account



Series: Sunrise Series [1]
Category: The Handmaid's Tale (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bonding, Canada, Crying, Eleanor Gets Her Hug, Eleanor needs a hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Gets A Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Gilead - Freeform, Gilead Sucks, Hurt/Comfort, Infrequent Updates, Joseph Lawrence Redemption, June Never Stayed With The Waterfords, Redemption, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-05-20 21:25:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19384951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Determined to find his wife and daughter, Luke Bankole stays in Gilead. After becoming the driver for the Lawrence family, he looks for them every time he takes Mrs. Lawrence out to see the sunrise. In the end, he doesn't find June- Commander Lawrence does.





	1. Sunrise - Luke

     Luke sat back, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers as he waited for Mrs. Lawrence. He checked his watch, 6:00, she'd be out soon. The man quietly hummed to himself, reaching up to adjust the rear view mirror.

      "...comes the sun," he whispered along to the tune in his head, "here comes the sun, and I say it's all-" He startled at the sound of a door slamming, turning in his seat to look back towards the Lawrence house. Eleanor, her dress snapping in the wind, rushed down the set of stairs. She followed the path out towards his truck, and Luke sighed as he watched her. What had Commander Lawrence done now? The man sat up as she neared the vehicle, unlocking the doors when she reached the passenger side. The woman hauled the door open, scrambling up into the seat as she slammed it shut.

     "Eleanor!" Luke looked from her, up to where the Commander was making his way down the stairs. "Eleanor, listen to-"

     "Drive," the woman told him, and he met her gaze. She licked her lips, her shoulders hunching. "Please?" she asked, her voice shaking, "I don't want to talk to him."

     "Of course, Mrs. Lawrence," the man said, nodding. She didn't relax as he switched into reverse, and Luke's frown deepened as they pulled out of the drive way. "Mrs. Lawrence?" he hesitantly started, glancing at her as they made their way down the road, "is everything all right?" The thin woman shook her head, pressing her palms to her face as she took a shuddering breath.

     "No," Mrs. Lawrence told him, reaching up to run her hands through her ratty hair. Luke shifted in his seat as they came to a stop, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. "He _promised_ ," she finally gasped out, looking at him. "He promised me we wouldn't have another one!" Oh. _Oh_. Luke thought he knew what she was talking about, and his hands tightened on the wheel as they took their right turn. "But I saw her," the woman said, "that horrible Aunt Lydia! He tried to hide her from me, but I saw. I _saw_. He promised," she repeated, her voice cracking. "Why would he do this me?" the woman asked him, and Luke chewed his lip as he shook his head.

     "I'm not sure, Mrs. Lawrence," he said, and the woman slumped back in her seat, facing the window. They drove in silence for the next few minutes, the man almost glad for it as he took them down the sloping road.

     "Are we almost there?" she quietly asked him.

     "We're here," he corrected her, bringing the truck to a stop alongside the entrance to the Northford Park. Luke unlocked the doors, sitting back as he waited for the woman to get out and go to her usual spot. She didn't move. "Mrs. Lawrence?" he hesitantly asked, and she shook her head.

     "I'm fine here," Mrs. Lawrence finally said, her lips twitching as she looked out the window. Beyond the distant cluster of trees, the sun slowly peeked out as it inched upwards. "I'm fine," the woman repeated, her gaze fixing on it. "I'm," he watched as her reflection licked its lips, "I'm-" Her thin shoulders jerked, the woman curling in on herself as she took a ragged breath. Luke looked away from her, closing his eyes as she finally began to weep. He hated it when she cried, she always made him think of Hannah. And that was why he opened his eyes, shifting in his seat to reach out and place a hand against her back.

     "It'll be all right, Mrs. Lawrence," he gently told her, and the woman shook her head, not looking at him.

     "It won't," she said, and he couldn't find it in himself to lie to her for a second time.


	2. New Addition - Luke

     Luke idled at the stop sign, cocking his head to watch the pair of Handmaids that walked by. He recognized Ofglen's stride, but the other one... He studied her for a moment, then sighed as he looked away. Not June. The walk was all wrong, too fast.

     "I heard that the Waterfords are getting a new Handmaid," Mrs. Lawrence quietly said, shifting in her seat to look after the Handmaids. "Do you think...?"

     "It's not her," he muttered, shaking his head.

     "Oh," the woman said, sitting back in her seat as they turned onto the road home. "I'm sorry."

     "I'll find her eventually," Luke replied, "just gotta keep looking till I do." He turned left, slowing as they approached the driveway. There was a squat little car parked beside the house, and he frowned as he pulled in. He'd never seen it here before, who did it belong to? Beside him, Eleanor went stiff as he parked beside it. "Mrs. Lawrence?"

     "It's _hers_ ," the woman whispered, making no move to get out of the car. "Why did she come back?" Luke shrugged, pulling the car keys out and pocketing them as he got out. Making his way around to Eleanor's side, he opened the door for her. She slowly reached up to unbuckle herself, eyes fixed on the other car. Her gaze went to the house, and she swallowed. "Would you.... come with me?" she hesitantly asked, and he gave her a questioning look. "They'll want me to meet the Handmaid, and I-" her gaze dropped, and she nervously pulled at the fabric of her sleeves. He sighed internally, nodding, and she got out. Shutting the door, Luke locked the car as they started towards the house. He went up ahead of Eleanor, holding the door open for her, and they entered the house. An older woman dressed in brown peered down the hallway, her face lighting up when she saw Eleanor.

     "Oh, good, Mrs. Lawrence!" Eleanor's shoulders hunched, and the woman pressed herself to Luke's side when he slowed. "I was afraid we'd missed you, dear! Come," the Aunt stepped into the hallway, gesturing back to the living room, "meet Ofjoseph." The Wife came to full stop at that, looking to Luke as her eyes begged for help.

     "Good evening, ma'am," he started, mind racing as he tried to come up with a good excuse. "Mrs. Lawrence, she-" She what? Sorry, Aunt, but she'd freak out if you made her talk to the Handmaid? What to say, what to say?

     "My wife hasn't been feeling well," Mr. Lawrence's voice came from the living room, and Luke relaxed as the Aunt's attention turned back to the Commander. "She'd never forgive herself if she gave it to the Handmaid," the man continued, "I'll introduce them after she's feeling better."

     "Oh," the Aunt murmured, nodding. She looked back at Mrs. Lawrence, smiling sympathetically. "Well, God willing, it'll pass quickly."

     "Thank you," Eleanor whispered, her gaze dropping to the floor as they slowly started forward again. The Aunt stepped back to let them pass by, and Luke led Mrs. Lawrence towards the staircase.

     "Luke?" He looked back at Mr. Lawrence's voice, pausing. "I'd be grateful if you took Eleanor to her room." Luke nodded, glancing at the Handmaid as they started up the stairs. She was facing Lawrence, her back to him. He frowned, pausing on the steps.

     "Luke?" Eleanor whispered, and the man shook his head and continued up. They reached the second floor, and Luke opened the door to Mrs. Lawrence's bedroom, stepping aside so she could enter. "Would stay with me, until that woman's gone?" she asked, and he hesitated. "I- I could tell you about Julie's piece," she continued, brightening a bit. "She did the sparrow," the woman told him, and he gave in. Talking about her former students' art was one of the few things that made Mrs. Lawrence happy nowadays. She'd tell him about the processes, what techniques they'd used, and what grade they'd gotten on their work. Luke didn't know much about art, but Mrs. Lawrence, she'd change when she talked- become a little closer to what he suspected she'd been like before Gilead's rise.

     "Sure, Mrs. Lawrence," he said, and she smiled as she let him in. That Handmaid, she wasn't going to be good for Eleanor. After what the last one had done... Luke shook his head, firmly pushing thoughts of the last Ofjoseph away as Eleanor pulled down a small painting of the bird. She sat on the edge of her bed, facing the painting towards him as she cleared her throat. He turned her chair towards the bed, sitting down as she began to talk. Mr. Lawrence, the Aunt, the Handmaid- they could all wait. Mrs. Lawrence and him, he thought, they both needed a little happiness right now.


End file.
